{
  "id": 6391846,
  "title": "Japan's Nikkei rallies as AI exuberance overrides Iran war concerns",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/japans-nikkei-rallies-as-ai-exuberance-overrides-iran-war-concerns-6391846",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-09-09T06:21:22.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Recorder",
    "slug": "business-recorder",
    "url": "https://www.brecorder.com/news/40438620/japans-nikkei-rallies-as-ai-exuberance-overrides-iran-war-concerns"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Tokyo witnessed a rally in Japan’s Nikkei share average on Wednesday, as enthusiasm surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) overpowered concerns about potential escalation in the Middle East crisis. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index climbed 0.43% to 65,549.88, bouncing back from a modest decline.\n\nThe broader Topix index also experienced gains, rising 0.24% to 4,059.87. A recent survey conducted by Reuters revealed that business confidence among prominent Japanese manufacturers reached an all-time high since December 2021. This optimism was driven by strong demand in the semiconductor and data-center sectors, according to the survey.\n\nDespite the US market facing headwinds due to worries over the Iran conflict and soaring oil prices, the Philadelphia Semiconductor Exchange Index still managed a 1.3% increase. Verizon's recent agreement with Corning to procure high-density optical fiber for AI infrastructure had a positive impact on Japanese cable manufacturers like Fujikura, according to Maki Sawada, an equities strategist at Nomura Securities.\n\nSemiconductor and AI-related shares were performing exceptionally well, contributing positively to the Nikkei 225, Sawada noted. However, the Japanese yen's strengthening posed a challenge for equities, as the market had largely anticipated the Bank of Japan to raise interest rates soon, potentially leading to a shift in investors' behavior towards buying stocks on dips.\n\nOn the Nikkei 225, there were 109 stocks that gained value compared to 116 that declined. Furukawa Electric led the gainers with a 13.20% increase, followed by Fujikura, which rose by 8.75%, and Lasertec, which gained 6.56%. Conversely, Kyowa Kirin, Sumitomo Pharma, and Nikon experienced declines of 5.12%, 5.02%, and 3.63%, respectively, ranking among the largest losers in the index.",
  "summary": "TOKYO: Japan’s Nikkei share average rose on Wednesday as AI enthusiasm crept back into the market, overriding concerns about escalation in the Middle East crisis. The benchmark Nikkei 225 advanced 0.43% to 65,549.88, recovering from an early slide. The broader Topix rose 0.24% to 4,059.87. Business confidence among big Japanese manufacturers climbed in September to its highest level since…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Japan's Nikkei rallies as AI exuberance overrides Iran war concerns",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/japans-nikkei-rallies-as-ai-exuberance-overrides-iran-war-concerns",
        "published": "2026-09-09T02:38:50.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}